


Normality

by Lady_Sage



Category: Persona 3
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst, Fluff and Angst, Future, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, October, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-02
Updated: 2017-11-24
Packaged: 2018-12-22 18:17:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 19,824
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11972973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Sage/pseuds/Lady_Sage
Summary: Akihiko is reckless. Shinjiro is stubborn. They can't stand each other half the time, but only they know how to take care of each other. And while they piss each other off more often than not, they also make each other happy. It's one hell of a relationship.





	1. I.

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanna apologise in advance for the fact that this fic has super short chapters/part. And I wrote it a good few months ago, but have reread it recently before posting, so I also apologise is there are any errors or whatever.

It had been a long day. A very long day. So, when Akihiko had gone to bed that night, he fell asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow. Because of that, though, he awoke in the middle of the night to find himself restless. He could no longer get comfortable and his throat felt all too dry. Maybe a glass of water would help.

 

Quietly, he crept out of his room. He carefully made his way down the stairwell, staying near the edges where the steps creaked less. It was dark in the lounge, but he didn’t bother with any lights. He just glided his hand along the walls and furniture until he found his way to the miniature kitchen. From there, he used the light of the refrigerator to help him see the area around him.

 

He opened one of the top cabinets to grab a small glass, filling it with cold water. He put the cup on the counter and went into his personal food stash for his protein powder. Just as he was about to sprinkle some into the water, there was hand on his shoulder, causing him to jump.

 

“Still eating that shit?” Shinjiro announced his presence.

 

It took Akihiko a sleepy moment to register the fact that it was the brunette’s hand on his shoulder. He shook his head, trying to wake himself up more. “Almost forgot you were here.” His voice was hoarse.

 

“Way to make a guy feel welcome,” Shinjiro said back, getting a glass of water for himself as well.

 

“C’mon,” he cleared his throat, “you know what I mean. It’s been two years and—”

 

“Yeah, I know.” He took a sip of his water. “The hell you doing up so late?”

 

He sprinkled the protein powder into his water and finally took a sip of it. “I could ask you the same thing.”

 

“Heard you get up.” Another sip. “Followed you down to make sure you weren’t gonna do something stupid.”

 

He couldn’t help the chuckle. “Like what?”

 

“Like go out for a run in the middle of the night like you always used to.”

 

“You know about that?”

 

“I’m not an idiot, Aki. And you ain’t that sneaky.”

 

He sighed as he drank more of the water. “What’s so stupid about going out for a run in the middle of the night?”

 

“There are a lot of weirdos out there at this hour.”

 

“Didn’t you used to be one of those weirdos?”

 

“Shut up.” He paused, sighing. “At least those 3:00am runs weren’t as stupid as your solo Tartarus trips.”

 

Now Akihiko practically choked on the water. “Wait, how do you—?”

 

“I already told you, moron, you ain’t that sneaky.” He finished his water and rinsed out the glass before putting it away. “You think it was just a coincidence I was always awake when you got back?”

 

He shrugged. “Never really thought about it, I guess.”

 

“Obviously.”

 

He finished his water as well. Then he couldn’t help but grin. “So…you used to wait up for me, huh?”

 

Shinjiro froze. Then he was grabbing the cup out of the other’s hand. “Don’t overthink it. Just wanted to make sure you were coming back in one piece.”

 

“Why’d you never confront me about it?”

 

He paused again as he washed the glass. “I dunno. Guess I knew you’d be too stubborn to argue with, so I just never bothered.”

 

“Oh, thanks.”

 

“Don’t give me that.” He put the glass away before slumping over the counter a bit, his back facing the other. “You never got hurt, so… If there ever would have been an incident where you did come back injured, then I would’ve confronted you. Because I know you. So, I know an injury wouldn’t have stopped you from making solo trips.”

 

“What would you have done if I had gotten hurt at one point?”

 

He pushed himself away from the counter. “What does it matter?”

 

“It matters to me.”

 

“Tch. You never asked me why I was always awake.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Nothing. Never mind. Just forget it.” He trudged his way past Akihiko and towards the door.

 

He went after him. “Shinji—”

 

“It’s late. I don’t feel like talking anymore.”

 

“You never feel like talking.”

 

“Whatever.”

 

Akihiko grabbed at him. His intentions had been to get a hold of the brunette’s elbow or forearm or something, but since it was still too dark to see, he ended up getting a hold of his hand. Except Shinjiro didn’t miss a beat when it came to tearing himself away from the other.

 

“The hell you think you’re doing?” Shinjiro said.

 

“Relax, I didn’t mean to—”

 

“You need to learn to leave shit be.”

 

“What is your issue? It was an accident. Why are you freaking out?”

 

“Senpai?” another voice interrupted them.

 

Light flooded the room, and they both turned to see Ken standing at the bottom of the staircase.

 

“Amada?” Akihiko said. “What are you doing up?”

 

“Koro-chan was whining at the door. I opened it for him, and when I did, I heard voices. So, I wanted to make sure everything was okay.”

 

“Everything’s fine,” Shinjiro said. “Go back to bed.”

 

“Hmm.” He looked back and forth between his two Senpai. “If you say so.” He turned away from them. “G’night.” And he made his way back up the stairs.

 

Silence filled the space left between Akihiko and Shinjiro. They both refused to look at each other, and that was how they knew the conversation was over. So, without saying another word, they turned the light back off and returned to their bedrooms. Akihiko stood outside his door and watched as the brunette entered his room. No hesitation. No second glance. Nothing.

 

That was the moment Akihiko realised just how much things had changed.


	2. II.

The following day, Akihiko attended his classes as if everything was normal. Technically, everything was normal. His classes were normal. His classmates were normal. Boxing practice was normal. It was all just…normal.

 

What wasn’t normal was the atmosphere at the dorm when he walked in and made eye contact with Shinjiro. That was when the tension shifted and everything was no longer normal. And as much as he wanted to speak with the brunette, he knew better than to try to start up a conversation after the previous night. He had to let the other cool off first. Blow off some steam.

 

So, when the group decided to make a trip to Tartarus that night, it couldn’t have worked out more perfectly. Especially when Minato chose both Akihiko and Shinjiro to be on the team that night. Now they could both take out their pent-up frustration on the unwitting Shadows.

 

And that’s exactly how it went. Akihiko hadn’t even realised just how much aggravation he needed to release until he stepped into the first battle of the night. From there, he was making kills left and right. The Shadows were practically falling at his feet. He couldn’t help but notice how well Shinjiro had done for himself, as well.

 

“Man, Senpai, you handle that axe incredibly,” Junpei said as the group returned to the dorm. “Even after all this time without practice, you were still kicking ass tonight.”

 

“It was pretty impressive,” Fuuka said.

 

“You were on fire tonight, too, Sanada-san,” he went on. “I almost felt pity for the poor Shadows.”

 

Akihiko chuckled a bit. “Just hit my groove, I guess.” He threw a couple punches into the air in front of him. “Felt good.”

 

Mitsuru shook her head, though there was a small smile on her lips. “Don’t encourage him, Iori.”

 

“Seriously,” Shinjiro spoke up. “He’ll get too in over his head.”

 

Once they arrived back at the dorm, everyone dispersed to their bedrooms, exhaustion from the Dark Hour settling in. As for Akihiko, he changed into some lighter clothes, and then headed back out.

 

“Where the hell are you going?” Shinjiro said from the bottom of the stairwell.

 

“Feeling pretty pumped, so I’m gonna go out for a run.”

 

He rolled his eyes at him, but didn’t say anything else. Instead, he just made his way up the stairs.

 

“You’re not gonna try to stop me?” Akihiko called after him.

 

“Why should I bother?”

 

He nodded. “Right. Later.”

 

With that, he left the dorm. He wasn’t sure what route he was gonna run, but he didn’t care. He just started running. And while it was still pretty warm during the day, it cooled off a decent amount at night. Enough for him to notice the crisp burn of air in his lungs. It felt good, though. Comfortable.

 

At one point, he stopped at the Shrine. He rested on one of the benches, closing his eyes for just a moment. When he did, his mind was flooded with memories of when he and Shinjiro were just little kids. Times before the Dark Hour. Before the power of Persona. Before Tartarus. The times when they were normal kids running around without a single care in the world. Normal.

 

For someone living a pretty abnormal life, Akihiko couldn’t seem to stop thinking about being normal. Maybe because he couldn’t remember what it felt like to be normal. To run around without a single care in the world. After all, now he only ran for one reason: To grow stronger.

 

By the time he returned to the dorm, it was close to 1:30 in the morning. He entered the lounge, and to his surprise—

 

“Shinji,” he said.

 

The brunette was sitting in one of the armchairs with a book. He rose to his feet as soon as Akihiko walked in. He cleared his throat. “It had been over an hour,” he said, his gaze on the floor.

 

Akihiko did his best to hold back a smile. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wor—” He stopped himself, swallowing hard. He knew he had to choose his words carefully. “—to take so long.”

 

“Worry me,” he said. “That’s what you were gonna say.”

 

“Uhm…sorry.”

 

Neither of them spoke another word; they just made their way upstairs together. And Akihiko couldn’t help but notice how little space Shinjiro was leaving between the two of them. He was holding back a smile all over again.

 

“Goodnight, Shinji,” he said once he was standing outside his door.

 

“Yeah. Night, Aki.”

 

Akihiko entered his room, noticing how this time the brunette waited to enter his own until Akihiko shut his door. Once it was shut, he finally released the smile. And along with it came a light blush. He shook it out of his system, though, figuring it was just from the exertion of the run.

 

He changed into his nightwear, reminiscing the entire time. And he wasn’t the type to typically think about the past, but ever since he stopped at the shrine, he hadn’t been able to stop himself.

 

As soon as he sat down on his bed, exhaustion took him over. He lay on his side, closing his eyes. As soon as he did, he fell captive to his dreams.


	3. III.

The next couple of days passed in the blink of an eye. Akihiko fell into his normal routine and— And there was that word again. Normal. Except nothing about the coming night would be normal. It was another full moon operation, after all.

 

When Akihiko got to the dorm, he headed straight for Shinjiro’s room. That was when he realised the brunette wasn’t currently at the dorm. So, he took to the streets to track him down. Of course, that didn’t take very long at all given the fact that Akihiko knew exactly where to find him.

 

The alley behind Port Island Station.

 

“You found me,” Shinjiro said once the other was standing in front of him. He took a drag from the cigarette between his fingers. “Good job.”

 

“The hell do you think you’re doing?” Akihiko said back.

 

“Smoking.”

 

“You need to get to the dorm. We have a mission tonight.”

 

“I know. Unlike you, though, this ain’t something I’ve been doing for months now.”

 

“C’mon, Shinji, you’re gonna do fine. Hell, you’ve been using the axe with such practiced ease… It’s like you never even left.”

 

“Yeah…can’t decide if that’s good or bad.”

 

Akihiko sighed. Shinjiro took another drag. He released the smoke, making sure to direct it away from the other.

 

“You really have to smoke that thing?”

 

“Does it bother you?”

 

“Well…yeah.”

 

“Tch.” Shinjiro took yet another drag. This time he held the breath; held in the smoke. He seemed lost in thought. Soon enough, he tossed the cigarette to the ground. He stomped it out and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Let’s get outta here.”

 

Somewhat surprised—and a bit annoyed—as he was by the brunette’s response, Akihiko didn’t ask any questions. He just followed the other out of the back alley instead.

 

They were silent as they walked to the dorm. Once again, Akihiko took notice of the lack of space Shinjiro had left between them. Not that he minded. The closeness felt nice. After all, usually they only ever got so close when they were throwing punches. The simplicity of this closeness was so much better.

 

“Let me guess,” Shinjiro broke the silence, “you have some sort of training regimen you do before the full moon ops.”

 

“Actually, I try to take it easy before these particular excursions.”

 

“Tch. _Taking it easy_ is in your vocabulary?”

 

He chuckled. “Shut up.”

 

“So, how exactly does Akihiko Sanada take it easy?”

 

“You’re such a prick.”

 

A smile tugged at Shinjiro’s lips. “C’mon, let’s grab a cup of coffee.”

 

“The café is back in the other direction, though.”

 

“So what? We got time, don’t we?”

 

“The hell has gotten into you, Shinji?”

 

The brunette shrugged his shoulders. “Just don’t feel like going back to the dorm yet,” he said. “Besides, cigarettes make me crave coffee.”

 

“Ah.”

 

“C’mon, Aki, don’t give me that.”

 

“Huh? What did I do?”

 

“Coffee?” he said once more.

 

Akihiko sighed, giving in. He very knew well he wouldn’t be getting a straight answer out of the brunette. “Yeah, all right, fine.”

 

So, the two of them turned to retrace their steps to the coffee shop at the mall. All the while, Akihiko was trying to figure Shinjiro out. His attitude, his behaviour, all of it. Sure, things had most definitely changed, but now he was trying to figure out whether things had changed for better or for worse.


	4. IV.

The operation that night had gone, overall, smoothly. Minus Junpei being ambushed, of course. Akihiko, Shinjiro, and Mitsuru brought Chidori to the hospital. Once she was situated in a room, they headed back to the dorm. It was a quiet walk. It was the first time just the three of them had been together again since Shinjiro initially left the group. No one wanted to talk about that, though. The three of them were too exhausted anyhow. With back-to-back nights at Tartarus and the full moon excursion, all anyone wanted was to get into bed and sleep. Even Akihiko felt pretty wiped out.

 

Upon arriving at the dorm, Mitsuru was the first to enter. As Akihiko was about to walk in, he noticed Shinjiro sitting on the bottom of the front steps. So, he stopped and took a seat beside him.

 

“Why aren’t you going in?” Shinjiro said.

 

“Same question,” Akihiko said.

 

He let out a small grunt before pulling out a pack of cigarettes. “Still gonna sit and wait for me?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

The brunette then pulled out a lighter and lit the cigarette. He stuck it between his lips and breathed deep, letting it hang there. Akihiko remained silent as he watched his best friend fill himself with toxins. He took note of the few stray hairs that fell in front of his eyes before observing the heaviness under them. Then he followed the curve of his nose. He noticed his cheekbones and came to the realisation of how thin Shinjiro had become. Guess two years of living on the streets would do that to a guy…

 

“Aki,” he broke the silence.

 

Akihiko’s eyes rose back up to meet the steel ones across from him. “What’s up?”

 

Shinjiro took another drag. “Anyone ever tell you it’s rude to stare?”

 

His cheeks flushed at this. “S-sorry…”

 

The brunette took another deep breath and let it sit before releasing it. Then he tossed the cigarette to the ground. “C’mon.” He got to his feet, his hands returning to his pockets. “It’s late.”

 

“Or we could go somewhere,” Akihiko said, jumping to his feet as well.

 

“The hell, Aki?”

 

“It’ll be like the old days when we used to always sneak out and just wander around the city.”

 

“Aren’t you tired?”

 

He sighed. “I just—”

 

“We ain’t kids anymore. And these sure as hell ain’t the old days.” He reached for the doorknob. “Things change.”

 

“Not you and me, though.”

 

“You haven’t changed, no. Not a damn bit. But I have. That’s why you need to stop trying to revert things back to normal. Nothing about our lives now is normal.”

 

Akihiko just shook his head. “You’re as unpredictable as ever.”

 

“The hell is that supposed to mean?”

 

“What does it matter, right?”

 

He pushed past the brunette to enter the dorm. Shinjiro was right on his heel, though, and grabbed him by the shoulder before slamming him into the nearest wall. Akihiko moved to throw a punch, but the brunette was quicker and managed to pin his other arm to the wall as well. Damn, he knew Akihiko all too well.

 

“Let me go,” he said.

 

“Not until you tell me what the hell your issue is,” Shinjiro said.

 

“Right now it’s you.”

 

“Fuck off. There’s something else on your mind.”

 

Akihiko hated this. He hated how Shinjiro could read him, but he could never figure out Shinjiro. It wasn’t fair. For once he just wanted the brunette to be completely and utterly honest with him. That would never happen, though. Not even if he asked.

 

“Well?” he went on. “Tell me.”

 

“Fine.” Akihiko swallowed hard. “But only if you tell me everything you’ve been keeping from me for the last two years.”

 

That was when Shinjiro put distance between them. “You’re as stubborn as ever.”

 

“Good. So you’re unpredictable and I’m stubborn. Seems like a suitable match.”

 

“Tch. I should hit you right now.”

 

“Go ahead.”

 

Now he scowled. “Ain’t worth it, moron.”

 

“Find me when I am worth it, then.” And he walked away.

 

He didn’t get far, though, because the other stopped him by grabbing his hand. He froze before turning to face the brunette again.

 

“Don’t tell me you really think that,” Shinjiro said, his voice suddenly soft.

 

“I don’t know what to think anymore.”

 

With that, Akihiko pulled his hand back and headed upstairs, leaving Shinjiro alone in the lounge. And it took every ounce of his being not to turn back and rejoin him. To be with him.

 

It took everything in him to forget.


	5. V.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This seemed like the perfect part to mention that some chapters are gonna be pulled almost directly from the actual game script, haha  
> Also, now that we're five parts in, I just wanted to apologise again for these "chapters" being kinda super short x.x  
> My writing is all over the place when it comes to the length of chapters, and they can range literally anywhere from two pages to ten pages. It really depends on the context and how much I can elaborate without it feeling too much like filler. With this particular story, though, I felt the shorter chapters just...fit better. I dunno, haha   
> That's all for now, though. I may be back with another little blurb later on. Enjoy :3

For the next few days, every minute of Akihiko’s free time went towards hospital visits and interrogations. It wasn’t his first choice to how he would spend his free time, but it was his only option at that moment. Mostly because he didn’t want Mitsuru visiting the Strega member on her own. Plus, he wanted his Kohai to focus on school, amongst other things. Plus, he very well knew Shinjiro didn’t care enough to accompany Mitsuru. Not that he didn’t care about her, but he didn’t care about the situation itself.

 

Until, that is, the brunette did take some time out of his day to stop by the hospital. And his timing couldn’t have been more perfect, seeing as Chidori’s Persona went berserk on her almost as soon as he stepped through the door.

 

Everything happened so quickly from there; Akihiko couldn’t even remember when or how he had gotten to Port Island Station. All he knew was that he was there and Shinjiro was there and everyone else seemed to just blend in with their surroundings.

 

“What the hell’s going on? Why did you have those pills?” He shook his head. “I’ve heard about those… They’re taken to suppress a Persona when the user can’t control it. But the side effects… You’re not taking them, are you?” The question what rhetorical, yet he was still looking for an answer. He wasn’t sure why. He knew Shinjiro well enough to know he wasn’t gonna tell him anything. Give him anything. He couldn’t even think straight. He only felt a mixed rush of fear and anger and betrayal and— “Answer me,” he said once he realised the brunette wasn’t going to speak up.

 

“I don’t owe you anything,” Shinjiro said.

 

“Tch. The same as always…”

 

“Save it. I’ve heard it all before. You think I’m wasting my power, but you’re just too thick-headed. I’m tired of your damn preaching.”

 

Before Akihiko could stop himself, his fist connected with Shinjiro’s jaw. And he wanted the other to fight back, but he didn’t so much as even flinch.

 

“Don’t you get it? You know the reason…” Now Akihiko was trying with all his might to hold back every emotion he was feeling in that moment. “Ten years ago. My sister. The fire. I wasn’t strong enough to save her. They held me back while she—” He choked on the words, taking a deep breath to calm himself down. “That’s why I try so hard… We promised, remember? To become strong enough to do what we think is right. So why the drugs? Why didn’t you come talk to me?” At that point, he would’ve accepted just about any excuse.

 

“I’m back in the fight now. So let it go.”

 

He sighed. “And the side effects?”

 

Shinjiro refused to meet the other’s gaze. “There’s something I need to take care of. It’s something only I can do.”

 

“Like what?”

 

“Listen, don’t worry about me. Just do what you think is right.” He then turned to walk away.

 

Akihiko wanted to go after him. To stop him. To tell him he was being the idiot now. He couldn’t move, though. He couldn’t feel his legs. What he could feel were the gazes of the people around him. People staring like he was some sort of—

 

This sure as hell wasn’t normal. And there was no going back. How it took him so long to realise that, he didn’t know. But Shinjiro was out of sight, and he was still standing in the middle of the station. Alone.


	6. VI.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another super short chapter and I am so sorry for that, haha I think there are some kinda longer ones coming up soon...ish, though x3

The group didn’t go to Tartarus again until the following night. Once again, Minato took both Akihiko and Shinjiro in with him. There weren’t very many thoughts going through Akihiko’s mind, though. All he cared about was the heat of the moment. Blowing off steam. Fighting and winning and fighting some more. Then when Yukari grew tired, he hoped Minato would just swap her out for Amada or Aigis or Koromaru or…whoever else was ready. Instead, though, the Leader decided to just call it a night. Damn. Akihiko couldn’t have been more disappointed.

 

The walk back to the dorm was tense. Maybe not for the others, but certainly for Akihiko. He couldn’t bring himself to even look over at Shinjiro. Hell, the brunette probably hadn’t even noticed. That was the worst part, too.

 

Except he couldn’t have been more wrong.

 

“Hey,” Shinjiro said, falling to the back of the group with him. “Usually I’m the one who’s ignoring you.”

 

Akihiko turned his head further to the side. He wanted to make it as clear as possible that he wanted nothing to do with the other. Not yet, at least.

 

“C’mon, don’t be like that. You never stay mad at me for this long.”

 

He gritted his teeth. _That’s because you’ve never done anything to piss me off this much._ If only he could scream that at him. He wouldn’t, though. He refused to give in. So, he would ignore him until he apologised. Because, damn it, he deserved an apology for once.

 

“Tch. Seriously? Ain’t gonna say a single word? Ain’t even gonna look at me?” He paused before letting out a heavy sigh. “Aki—”

 

As soon as the other’s hand touched his shoulder, Akihiko spun around and practically pounced him. He knocked the brunette to the ground, throwing punches. He wasn’t even entirely sure what he was hitting. Whether it was Shinjiro or pavement. The brunette was fighting back, though.

 

“Boys,” Mitsuru spoke up. “Stop that this instant.”

 

It took both Minato and Junpei to pull Akihiko off Shinjiro. The brunette scrambled back to his feet, holding his jaw. Akihiko wondered if he looked just as shitty.

 

“The fuck is your problem?” Shinjiro said.

 

Fuuka’s eyes widened. “Senpai…”

 

“I’m not sure what’s happening between the two of you,” Mitsuru went on, “but it ends now. This behaviour is immature. It’s pathetic. I expect better from both of you.”

 

There were no other incidents for the rest of the walk. Mainly because Mitsuru made sure to keep Akihiko and Shinjiro a safe distance away from each other. And as soon as they reached the dorm, Akihiko rushed up to his bedroom. He pulled his sweater vest off, and then his gloves. Hell, his knuckles were already bruising.

 

He sighed as he fell onto his bed. He couldn’t believe he had actually just attacked Shinjiro like that. Sure, the two of them had gotten into fist fights before, but never anything as intense as that. Never had Akihiko had to be pulled off the brunette before. Never had he lost control like that before.

 

Then there was a knock on his door. Before he could answer, though, Shinjiro let himself in. His right eye was already swelling, and his jaw had bruised. Akihiko groaned out of shame as he slipped off his bed and onto the floor. After a couple of seconds passed, the brunette joined him on the floor. Akihiko brought his knees to his chest so he could hide his face in them. Shinjiro didn’t say a word.

 

That was both comforting and distressing all at the same time.


	7. VII.

Akihiko had ended up falling asleep just like that on the floor. Except when he woke up, Shinjiro was gone and he was in his bed. He cursed the brunette under his breath for still being so considerate despite everything that was going on between them.

 

He didn’t see Shinjiro all day. When he had returned to the dorm after school, he knocked on the brunette’s door when he didn’t see him in the lounge. There was no response, so he decided to go back out and check to see if he was hanging out in the back alley again. He wasn’t. So, he returned to the dorm and knocked on the other’s door yet again.

 

“Shinji?” he said. No answer. “I know you’re probably still pissed at me, and you have every right to be, but—” He sighed, stopping himself. “Never mind.”

 

With that, he walked away. A part of him wanted to turn back and convince Shinjiro to come out and talk to him. Another part of him wanted to still be mad and wait and make Shinjiro come to him.

 

He went with the other part of him. After all, he was sick of always being the one to go after the other and try to fix things. He wanted Shinjiro, for once, to be the one to make an effort. So, Akihiko went down to the lounge and didn’t think about anything that had to do with anyone else.

 

The group didn’t go to Tartarus that night. Akihiko was both relieved and disappointed in that fact. Seeing as he was still pretty pissed off, especially since Shinjiro never came out of his room, he needed to blow off some steam. So as soon as everyone retired to their rooms for the night, he decided to go out. But, of course, he didn’t get far without getting stopped first.

 

“Where do you think you’re going?” Shinjiro said.

 

“Oh, now you wanna talk?”

 

“Shut up. Just tell me where you’re heading off to.”

 

“What does it matter?”

 

“Tch. That gonna be your response to everything now?”

 

He turned on his heel to face the brunette. “Look, you told me not to worry about you. So don’t you worry about me, either.”

 

He let out a soft sigh. “Aki…”

 

“I don’t wanna hear it. I gave you a chance to explain yourself to me the other day and you chose to walk away.”

 

“Yeah. Then you chose to beat the shit out of me.”

 

“I was out of things to say.”

 

“Poor excuse.”

 

“Whatever.”

 

He scoffed at him. “So that’s it?”

 

“I don’t know what else to do, Shinji. But I do know that keeping up with you and your mood swings is exhausting.”

 

The brunette cocked his head to the side, closing his eyes. “Fine. If that’s what you want, then—”

 

“No, Shinji, it’s not what I want. It’s far from what I want. But it seems to be what you want, so…” He shook his head. “I’m going out for a run. Don’t bother waiting up.”

 

He didn’t give the other a chance to respond. Instead, he just took off. And once again, he wasn’t running any route in particular. He was just running to run.

 

By the time Akihiko returned to the dorm, he had been gone for at least an hour. The Dark Hour started just as he entered the dorm, too, so he was expecting darkness. Except it wasn’t totally dark. There was a candle sitting on the table. It was giving off just enough light for him to make out the figure on the couch.

 

“Shinji,” he said.

 

“Let’s get one thing straight, asshole,” he said as he rose to his feet. He stepped up to the other, causing him to back into the door. “I will always wait up for you. Don’t be such an idiot where you actually believe I don’t give a shit. Next time you make that assumption, I’ll have to prove you wrong.”

 

Akihiko swallowed hard. The brunette was close enough where he could feel his breath on his cheeks. It smelt of smoke, but there was something…sweet about it. Heat rose in his cheeks. “Prove me wrong?”

 

Now Shinjiro smirked. “Doubt me and you’ll find out.”

 

He couldn’t help the chuckle. “Shinji…” He shook his head. “Do you have any idea how ridiculous you’re being?”

 

“I learned from the best.”

 

He started to move away from the other, but before he could get far, Akihiko grabbed hold of the collars of his coat. Shinjiro let him, staying close to him. Neither of them said anything; they just closed their eyes and enjoyed the nearness. Until, that is…

 

“You smell like smoke,” Akihiko spoke up.

 

The brunette laughed low in his throat. The sound caused the other’s stomach to turn in such a pleasant way.

 

“What do you want me to do about it?” Shinjiro said.

 

“It’d be nice if you would stop smoking.”

 

Now he pushed himself away. “Tch. If I do that for you, then what would you do for me in return?”

 

“Come up with something and we’ll go from there.”

 

“Deal.” He turned his back on the other. “It’s late. Go to bed.”

 

“What about you?”

 

“I ain’t gotta be anywhere in the morning.”

 

A small smile formed on his lips. “True enough. G’night, Shinji.”

 

“Night, moron.”

 

 _Moron_. The word was beginning to feel more like a term of endearment rather than an insult. And Akihiko loved it.


	8. VIII.

A typhoon hit just a few days later, leaving the group stranded in the dorm. That meant no Tartarus trips, which meant no training for Akihiko. And there was only so much he could do with the equipment in his room.

 

The second and third days, Shinjiro came to Akihiko’s room and just watched him as he worked through his routine. Neither of them said a word during that time. Though, there was something about the way the brunette was watching him that made him almost uneasy, but in a strangely good way. Every time he caught the other’s steel-eyed stare, his stomach would flip, or he could feel heat rise to his cheeks. At one point, his heart even started pounding so fast and hard he could’ve sworn it was gonna jump right out of his ribcage. Or at least bruise it.

 

It was on the last day of the typhoon when Akihiko got anxious. Fidgety. He hated being cooped inside the dorm all day long. And having gone through about three days of being stuck inside was making him lose his goddamn mind. He needed to get out.

 

So, on that fourth day, when the typhoon finally started to pass, he waited. He waited for Amada to go to bed. He waited for Yukari and Fuuka to go to bed. Aigis. Junpei. Minato had been sick the last few days, so he didn’t have to worry about him. Then he waited for Mitsuru to go to bed. Then all he had to do was wait on Shinjiro.

 

“C’mon, you going up?” Shinjiro said when he finally found a good stopping point in his book.

 

“In a little while,” Akihiko said. “Not really tired.”

 

“No kidding. I don’t think I’ve seen you fidget this much since we were kids.” He shook his head, though there were traces of a smile and the echo of a chuckle. “Just don’t stay up too late.”

 

“Right.”

 

With that, Shinjiro made his way upstairs. Akihiko silently waited at the bottom for the telltale sign of his bedroom door closing. Once he heard it, he practically darted for the front door.

 

It was still raining pretty damn hard out, but it had also definitely lightened up compared to the first couple of days. Besides, not like Akihiko was going out for a run. He was going to Tartarus. After missing the opportunity to go for half a week, he needed to go now to knock a few Shadows on their asses. He wouldn’t take very long. Just long enough to get a good exercise in.

 

Once he reached Tartarus, he was soaked through to the bone. No surprise there. That didn’t matter to him, though. All that mattered were the Shadows inside their nest.

 

Back when SEES consisted of only him, Shinjiro, and Mitsuru, he would sneak out of the dorm and go to Tartarus on his own here and there. Of course, back then, he never went farther than the first floor. Now he could go as far up as he wanted. He could even start towards the top. He was almost overwhelmed by his options. In the end, though, he chose to start towards the middle levels.

 

It was a good night. Akihiko faced the first few Shadows on his own and knocked each of them out with just a couple punches. He had the momentum to keep going, so he went higher up. The next few Shadows were a little more difficult. They took a couple extra punches, and sometimes he needed to summon Polydeuces. No big deal. And he still felt pretty good, so he decided to go up even higher.

 

Now, these Shadows were tough. With three other people, they were easy enough to get rid of. On his own, though, they weren’t so compliant. They weren’t so willing to give in. He was starting to grow tired, too. It was getting hard to control his swings due to his arms starting to grow sore. But he had to keep going. He had to keep pushing. Just a few more Shadows, and then he would head back to the dorm.

 

_Just a few more…_

 

A Knight appeared. His first punch missed. His second missed. Third time’s the charm, but his third punch was blocked. Shit. He summoned Polydeuces only to find the Shadow was resistant to Zio attacks. Then it hit him and he was suddenly staring up at the ceiling. The walls were spinning, and he couldn’t tell how close or far the Shadow was to him. All he could see was the thing preparing another attack. This one would surely knock him out, too. He couldn’t let that happen, though.

 

He got back to his feet and charged at the Shadow. Maybe the block from before had been a fluke. Some sort of charm. So, he charged and he attacked and—He was knocked down yet again, except this time there was blood. The Knight’s damn spear got him somewhere, but he couldn’t tell where. His vision was blurring and he felt way too dizzy.

 

The Shadow closed in on him. Akihiko watched it prepare its attack. Then there was light. A bright flash of light. The Shadow was gone, and there was an arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him up.

 

“How could you be so stupid?” a voice said right beside him, though it still sounded like it was miles away.

 

He blinked a few times before cocking his head to the side. “Shinji…?”

 

He could see brunette’s lips moving, but he could no longer make out the words he was saying. The walls were spinning again and his vision was going dark. Everything was going dark…


	9. IX.

When Akihiko came to, he was in Shinjiro’s room. In Shinjiro’s bed. In nothing but his boxers. Panicked, he started to sit up, but there was a hand on his chest—before he could even assess the situation—keeping him down. He turned his head to see the brunette seated beside the bed, also in nothing but his boxers.

 

“Our clothes were soaked by the time I got us back here,” Shinjiro spoke up, though he wasn’t looking at the other. “I had to strip us down. You were shaking, and that wasn’t helping your injury. And your shirt was soaked with blood, too.”

 

“Hold on… My injury? Blood?”

 

“Yeah. Speaking of which,” he finally looked at Akihiko, “thanks for staying passed out long enough for me to stitch you up.”

 

“Huh?” Akihiko said. He looked down at himself and saw the cut along his waist. “Oh. That injury.” He let out a small groan. “The hell happened?”

 

“You’re an impulsive idiot. That’s what. You went to Tartarus and fought a Shadow you couldn’t even defend yourself against.” He shook his head. “Tch. You’re lucky I got there when I did.”

 

“Why were you there?”

 

“Because I know you, Aki. So, I knew you were gonna sneak out to Tartarus. Unlike you, I ain’t an idiot.”

 

He couldn’t help the smile. “Sorry to trouble you.”

 

“Tch. You’ve always been trouble. You’re reckless and hotheaded and—”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Shinjiro froze. Then he raised an eyebrow. “For?”

 

“For watching out for me. If you hadn’t been there tonight, I probably would’ve died in that tower.”

 

“Just…” He sighed. “You gotta be more careful.”

 

“I will be.”

 

Akihiko remained still as he watched the brunette. He was putting something together from his makeshift medical kit. That’s not what Akihiko was paying attention to, though. He was focusing on the other’s breathing. Just the fact that he was breathing. That he was existing. That was all Shinjiro needed to do to intrigue Akihiko.

 

Then he looked down at himself again. He brushed his fingers over the stitching on his side, wincing slightly.

 

“Stop that.” The brunette swatted the other’s hand away. “Don’t play with it or it’ll come undone.”

 

“Where did you learn to do this?”

 

“You think I’ve never had to stitch myself up before?”

 

He swallowed hard. “Oh.”

 

“Stay still.” He turned towards him with what he had been making, and that was when Akihiko realised it was a bandage made of gauze. “By the way,” he looked up at him again as he placed the bandage over the stitching, “where’d that scar on your shoulder come from?” He gently applied pressure to the gauze. “And don’t try telling me it’s from the attack back in April because it’s the opposite shoulder.”

 

Now he sighed. “That was from another solo Tartarus trip. A trip I took after you had left SEES.”

 

Shinjiro grimaced. “Aki…”

 

“Don’t worry about it. Not like it was your fault.”

 

“That ain’t the point.”

 

“Please, don’t blame yourself for my stupidity.”

 

“Tch. Least you can admit you’re stupid.” He pulled his hands away from the other, rising to his feet. “Come to me after school tomorrow so I can clean that up and switch out the bandage.”

 

“You gonna tell Mitsuru about this?”

 

“Why would I?”

 

“I dunno…just making sure, I guess.”

 

He chuckled a bit. “You’re ridiculous, Aki.”

 

“Yeah, I’ve heard that before.” He sat up. “What time is it?”

 

“Almost two o’clock.”

 

“Damn.” He swung his legs around to the floor. “I should get back to my room.”

 

“No,” Shinjiro said. “Stay here for the rest of the night. I’m not sure if you knocked your head or not, so you could have a minor concussion for all I know. And if that’s the case, then—”

 

“I never hit my head. If anything, I passed out from a mix of blood loss and shock.”

 

“That ain’t any better.”

 

“C’mon, Shinji,” he stood up, keeping himself from swaying, “I’ll be fine.”

 

“You can stay here, or you can go back to your room and I’ll stay there.”

 

“Yet I’m the ridiculous one.”

 

Shinjiro chuckled again, smirking at the same time. Then he stepped up to Akihiko, the distance between them limited. The brunette was taller than the other by a good couple of inches. Akihiko’s gaze first fell to the other’s protruding collarbones, then moved up his neck. He had grown so used to seeing the brunette in his coat that seeing him so bare was almost strange.

 

“So?” Shinjiro spoke up, causing Akihiko to finally meet his gaze. And the look on his face—the look in his steel eyes… There was something meaningful about it. There was an intensity to it. “What’s it gonna be?” he went on. “Here or there?”

 

“W-well…” He cleared his throat. “We’re already here, s-so might as well stay.”

 

With that, the two of them only moved away from each other to get ready for bed. Shinjiro pulled out two pairs of sweatpants, tossing one at Akihiko. They must’ve been an older pair, because they fit him almost perfectly. Then he watched the brunette as he stepped into his pair. They hung from his hipbones, barely staying up as he walked.

 

“You’ve been doing an awful lot of staring lately,” Shinjiro said.

 

Akihiko’s cheeks flared red at the comment. “Uhm—”

 

“Oh, you’re not gonna want to sleep on your left side for a few nights.” He went about changing the subject as if it was nothing important. “And I know that means you’ll have to sleep facing away from the door, which you hate, so I’ll be sure to sleep on the other side of you. Or just on the outside.”

 

“Does that mean we—that we’re both sleeping—sharing your bed?”

 

“You think I was gonna let you kick me out of my own bed?”

 

“N-no, I just figured I would sleep on the floor.”

 

“You ain’t sleeping on the floor, moron. Not in your condition. And I sure as hell ain’t sleeping on the floor, either.”

 

“It’s not a very big bed.” He paused before shaking his head. “Y’know, maybe I should just go back to my own room.”

 

Despite the pain wringing in his side, he moved swiftly towards the door. But, of course, Shinjiro was able to keep up. Akihiko’s hand was on the knob, but before he could even think about turning it, the brunette was reaching over his shoulder. He placed one hand on the door to keep it shut, and used his free hand to turn Akihiko around.

 

It took Akihiko up to this point to notice that Shinjiro wasn’t wearing his beanie. Made sense. That must’ve gotten soaked along with the rest of their clothes. It caused his hair to be freer than usual, though, so more of brown strands had fallen in front of his eyes. Without thinking, Akihiko reached a hand up to brush the hair out of the other’s face. Shinjiro closed his eyes, leaning into the touch. Due to that reaction, Akihiko dared to pull him closer. He didn’t resist. So, he pulled him as close as they could get without their lips touching. Their noses did brush together, though. It was exhilarating and calming all at the same time. It was warm, too. And for what seemed like forever, they remained just like that.

 

Then Akihiko grew cold when Shinjiro made the move to push himself away. His breath caught in his throat; he couldn’t even remember if he had been breathing or not to begin with.

 

“The choice is yours,” the brunette spoke up. “If you wanna go back to your own room, you can. I ain’t gonna force you to stay here.”

 

Akihiko felt as if he had lost his voice. Even if he hadn’t, he was still at a loss for words. Hell, he couldn’t even manage to think up a coherent sentence. So, rather than saying any words at all, he just walked over to Shinjiro’s bed and crawled under the covers. A few long seconds passed before he felt the warmth of the other’s body beside him. Another couple of seconds passed before that body was pressed up against his. Heat rose to his cheeks as he smiled to himself.

 

This was something he could get used to. Better yet, he wanted to get used to it. Even if he wasn’t sure yet as to what _it_ was. Not that he cared, because _it_ was causing Shinjiro to act in a way he never thought he would get the chance to experience. And that was good enough for Akihiko. Good enough to help him fall asleep to the sound of the brunette’s steady breathing.


	10. X.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know these two are impossible and that these arguments may seem a bit redundant, but c'mon, these two don't know shit about using words and expressing themselves lmao I promise, though, they'll get better x3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are, officially halfway through :3  
> Thank you to all my readers who keep checking in for updates. Thank you for supporting me and this story thus far. Hope you'll enjoy the rest as much as you've enjoyed the beginning. Also, shout out to the few people who have left comments; that's practically what fuels me, haha

The following morning, Shinjiro was already up and gone by the time Akihiko awoke. He rolled over and groaned loudly out of pain. He had almost forgotten about what had happened the previous night. He slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes. Once he managed to focus his vision, he checked out the clock on Shinjiro’s desk.

 

10:42.

 

Before he could react to the time, the brunette entered the room. In one hand was a small teacup, and in the other was the matching teapot.

 

“Morning,” he said.

 

“Guess school is a no-go today,” Akihiko said back.

 

“I tried waking you, but you were practically dead weight. So much so that I actually—” He cleared his throat. “Anyway…” He placed the teapot and cup on his desk. “This is a floral tea with ginger. It’ll help with whatever soreness you might be feeling and it should prevent you from getting sick.”

 

“That sounds like an awful combination.”

 

“Tch. Like I give a shit.” He poured a cup. “Drink it.”

 

Against his better judgement, Akihiko accepted the cup of tea. “Did Mitsuru ask about me this morning?” He took a sip of the tea an held back the urge to gag.

 

“Told her you weren’t feeling well.”

 

“And she accepted that answer?”

 

“Told her I knew you weren’t feeling well because I woke up to the sound of you puking in the middle of the night.” He chuckled. “Arisato even went along with it and said he heard it, too. He told her that he came out of his room to check on us and that I told him I had everything under control. That was when she really accepted it.”

 

“Oh, so he’s feeling better now?”

 

“Guess so.”

 

“Huh. I wonder why he would’ve gone along with it.”

 

“I’m sure the kid knows you had to have a good excuse to stay in bed for once.”

 

“Maybe.” He took another sip. “Can we talk about last night?”

 

“Hmm? What about it?”

 

“You and me.”

 

Shinjiro froze before shaking his head. “Ain’t nothing to talk about.”

 

Akihiko’s gaze dropped down to his cup of tea. There was a lot to talk about. And he wanted to talk about it, but he didn’t dare pursue the topic. Things were good between him and Shinjiro right now. He didn’t want to mess that up. So, if that meant ignoring the other’s behaviour and shrugging it off as _ain’t nothing to talk about_ , then so be it.

 

But then the brunette let out a heavy sigh. “C’mon, that ain’t fair.”

 

He looked back up, confused. “What isn’t?”

 

“The fact that you’re not even trying, yet I still feel guilty.”

 

He wasn’t sure whether he should smile or remain serious, despite a part of him feeling somewhat…giddy over that comment. So, instead, he took another sip of his tea. Damn, it tasted worse the cooler it got.

 

“Not sure about you,” Shinjiro went on, “but there’s just been a lot going on in my head as of late.”

 

“That good or bad?”

 

“Haven’t figured that part out yet.”

 

“Tch.”

 

“What?”

 

Now he took a deep breath. “Something clicked into place last night. Something so much greater than both of us. Something that neither of us are accustomed to.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“You know exactly what I mean. You’re just too damn afraid to admit it.”

 

“Then why don’t you admit it?” Shinjiro said. And when Akihiko only looked away in response, he rolled his eyes. “Tch. That’s what I thought.” He leaned towards him. “Don’t go pointing fingers at me for being a coward when you’re just as bad.”

 

“At least I’m not the one constantly pushing myself away. At least I try to open up and talk things through. I only ever get shut down, though.”

 

He clenched his jaw. “Who’s fault is that? I mean, you should know better.”

 

Akihiko all but slammed the cup down before storming out of the brunette’s room. He moved down to his own room, slamming the door behind him before throwing his boxing gloves on and attacking his punching bag. Or so he tried. It wasn’t like he could hit with very much force seeing as it put too much stress on the stitches going across his waist. So, he let out a frustrated sigh as he fell onto his bed.

 

He should’ve left it at _ain’t nothing to talk about_. After all, ignoring his emotions would’ve hurt less.


	11. XI.

The group made plans to go to Tartarus that night. With the next full moon growing near and with having lost half a week of training, they decided it would be for the best. The girls kept checking with Minato to make sure he definitely felt up to it, and he kept assuring them that he really did feel better. After asking for the fourth or fifth time—or maybe even the eighth or ninth time—they accepted the answer for what it was.

 

“You ain’t going, are you?” Shinjiro said to Akihiko as the group prepared for departure from the dorm.

 

“Of course I am.”

 

“You’re still injured.”

 

“No kidding.” He shook his head. “It’ll be suspicious if I stay here. Mitsuru will definitely think something is up.”

 

“Tch. She thinks you’re sick.”

 

He shrugged his shoulders. “Tell her it was some twenty-four-hour thing. I dunno.”

 

“Aki, if you fight tonight, your stitching will come undone with the very first punch you throw. Then what will you do? I mean, you won’t be able to hide your injury, and Kirijo will be even more pissed.”

 

“I’m going,” he said. “Whether you like it or not.”

 

“Damn it, why do you have to be so stubborn?”

 

“Same reason you’re such a prick.”

 

The brunette actually chuckled at this. “Sure, but I’m a prick who cares about you.”

 

Akihiko froze at that comment. Never had the other flat out said that he cared about him. It was all he wanted to hear, yet he didn’t want to react to it. He didn’t want to run back to him so soon. He wanted to prove just how upset he was…

 

Ugh. He hated how emotional the brunette made him.

 

“Y’know, you’ve gotten damn good at ignoring me,” Shinjiro spoke up. “Gotta admit, I’m impressed.”

 

“Wouldn’t say I’m ignoring you. I just choose not to respond to you when you say things like that.”

 

“Why? Ain’t those the things you wanna hear?”

 

“Is that why you say them? Because you think I wanna hear it?”

 

“Why else would I say it?”

 

“Oh, I dunno… Maybe because you mean it.”

 

“C’mon, Aki, of course I mean it.”

 

“Doesn’t always seem that way.”

 

He sighed. “The hell more do you want from me?”

 

 _You. Just you._ If only he could scream that at him. Although, he doubted it would make a difference. Then again, maybe he should doubt him. The brunette did say he would have to prove Akihiko wrong if he doubted him another time. Hmm. He wondered if Shinjiro remembered that conversation, too.

 

“You know what? I don’t want anything,” he then said. “You’ve given me enough. More than enough.”

 

“And what the hell is that supposed to mean?”

 

“It means there’s nothing to talk about.”

 

He could tell by the way the brunette cocked his head down to the side that he hadn’t been expecting the other to throw his words back in his face like that.

 

Before anything else could be said, there was a knock at the door. It opened, and Iori was standing on the other side. “Hey, Senpai, we’re ready to head out now.”

 

“Great,” Akihiko said. “Let’s do this.”

 

Arisato decided on Aigis, Koromaru, and Akihiko—after an interrogation to make sure he definitely felt better—for his team. Akihiko glanced over at Shinjiro as they started towards the device to bring them to the higher levels. He looked none too pleased. He looked like he was trying to think up a quick excuse to get Akihiko out of having to train. It was too late, though. Minato activated the device, and then the brunette disappeared as Akihiko and the others traveled up through the multiple floors of Tartarus.

 

Fighting was, to say the least, challenging. More challenging than usual. Then again, that was too be expected since his injury had occurred only the night before. He hadn’t given himself nearly enough recovery time. Hell, the stitching was still fresh. It wasn’t entirely proper, either. Not that Shinjiro had done a bad job with it, but that didn’t change the fact that it hadn’t been done professionally.

 

He tried to ignore the twinges of pain he felt in his side. He tried to ignore the tugs and tears he felt at his stitches with every punch he threw. He tried not to continuously check his side for signs of bleeding. He tried not to make it obvious, at least. If there was any blood, though, there was a good chance he sweater vest was thick enough to hide it. And red enough.

 

He made it through the first few battles with no problems. The only issue now was the fact that he was already growing tired. He was amazed at how much energy went into keeping an injury secret.

 

“Are you feeling all right, Senpai?” Fuuka transmitted. “You don’t look well.”

 

“She is right,” Aigis said. “You look paler than usual.”

 

Akihiko shook his head. “I’m fine. Let’s just keep going. We should be getting close to another one of those mid-floors.”

 

That was the end of it. The four of them continued moving their way up Tartarus, and Akihiko continued going with the motions. It was all he could do. He was sweating more than usual, though. He felt cold, too. He shook his head again to snap himself out of it. No. He was fine. He could make it. He would make it.

 

The small team travelled up another couple of floors all together. Then on the next floor they reached, Fuuka let them know that there were fewer Shadows present. So, Minato had the group split up. His blue-haired Kohai turned around the first right corner, Aigis and Koromaru taking the corridor straight ahead of them. That left Akihiko with the left corridor.

 

There certainly were fewer Shadows. And the few he did come across seemed to be afraid of him, fleeing at the sight. He reached a dead end, opening the chest he had come across. Then when he turned to go back, he spotted a Shadow rushing at him.

 

It was another Knight.

 

“Backup, Fuuka,” he said. “I need backup.”

 

“Of course, Senpai,” she transmitted. “Calling for help now.”

 

Akihiko took cover right away. The Shadow attacked and missed. He defended again. It missed again. He defended a third time, and the next attack hit him. He withstood the damage—somehow—and kept on defending himself. Another attack and another hit. He took the damage. Another attack and… Shit, was he tired.

 

“Back—backup,” he said again. Wait… Did he say it? His voice sounded distant, even to him. “Please…”

 

He stumbled back a bit, having lost his balance. His arms dropped down to his sides, leaving him wide open. He couldn’t keep them up for another second; he was way too drained of energy. He also couldn’t focus on the Shadow anymore, seeing as the walls around him had begun to spin. He stumbled back a bit more, unsure of which direction he was going. Next thing he knew, he was hit with another attack that sent him straight to his knees.

 

The last thing he heard was the sound of a dog barking.


	12. XII.

Akihiko’s eyelids felt heavy, but that didn’t keep them from fluttering open. It didn’t take him long at all to figure out where he was. Shinjiro’s room. It was dimly lit by a flickering candle coming from…somewhere. He couldn’t quite pinpoint where.

 

His gaze shifted downwards. He was shirtless again. So, he looked towards the edge of the bed to see Shinjiro sitting there, focusing hard on the bandage he was placing over the other’s cut. Akihiko watched him as he concentrated. As far as he was concerned, the brunette was unaware of the fact that he had woken up.

 

His beanie was off again. Akihiko took this opportunity to lift his hand and run his fingers through his best friend’s brown hair. Shinjiro ceased all movement just to close his eyes at the sudden touch. A small smile tugged at the corner of lips, and it caused Akihiko’s cheeks to flush.

 

“Your idiotic tendencies are really starting to piss me off,” Shinjiro spoke up.

 

Akihiko laughed, despite the pain. “What happened?”

 

“You reopened your cut. You gotta watch your ass around those damn Knights. Those types are your weakness when it comes to Shadows.”

 

“Mitsuru didn’t make you take me to the hospital?”

 

“I told her I could handle it. That I wouldn’t say that if I thought I couldn’t because…it’s you.” He swallowed hard. “Guess that was a good enough answer for her.”

 

“She trusts you with me.”

 

He lifted his gaze to meet the other’s. “Yeah, but she has temporarily banned you from Tartarus trips. And she said you can’t fight in the next full moon operation.”

 

“That doesn’t seem fair.”

 

“It is fair. You need to give your body time to recover, moron.”

 

“Ten days is plenty of time.”

 

He shook his head at him. “You ain’t gonna recover in just ten days. Especially not after reaggravating the injury like you did tonight.”

 

“Is it that bad?”

 

“Well, it definitely ain’t good.” He pushed himself up to sit on the edge of the bed. “The hell were you thinking, Aki? You shouldn’t have gone to Tartarus tonight. What were you trying to prove?”

 

“I wasn’t trying to prove any—”

 

“Bullshit. I know you better than that.”

 

He sighed. “I dunno…” He carefully sat himself up, the brunette placing a hand on his back to provide support. “Guess I was just trying to prove that I’m strong enough to fight through anything.”

 

“You don’t gotta prove shit to anyone. We all know how strong you are. You’ve proved it plenty of times by now.”

 

“Are you sure? Because I don’t feel strong enough.”

 

“That’s because you’re making yourself sick with all these injuries and shit.”

 

Now he chuckled a bit. “Perhaps.”

 

They fell silent. Shinjiro’s hand remained on Akihiko’s back, tracing small circles around his spine. It was a soft touch. Warm. Inviting. Soothing. It helped Akihiko almost forget entirely about his injury. Rather than focus on the pain, he just closed his eyes, breathed deep, and focused on the patterns. Focused on the feel of the brunette’s hand. The shape of his fingertips. The form of his palm. His body swayed with the movements.

 

“Shinji…” he said, his voice barely a whisper.

 

That was when the brunette traced Akihiko’s spine up to the nape of his neck. He rested his hand there before pulling the other towards him. Akihiko kept his eyes closed until he felt his forehead connect with Shinjiro’s. It was then that he opened his eyes to see the two steel ones staring back at him. He blushed deep at the intensity in them. The brunette smirked in return.

 

“You’re ridiculous, Aki,” he said. “And…I’m sorry.”

 

Akihiko pulled away a little, surprised. “What?”

 

Now he rolled his eyes, though he was still smirking. “I’m sorry.”

 

“It’s…okay, Shinji.” He paused. “Besides, it’s seemingly impossible for me to stay pissed at you.”

 

He laughed. “Yeah, I know what you mean.”

 

With that, the two of them curled up under the covers, laying close to one another. Back to chest. Legs intertwined. They were closer than they had ever been before. Whether it was for warmth or for comfort or for…anything. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was the fact that neither of them wanted to let the other go.

 

Although, admitting that aloud would be a whole other matter.


	13. XIII.

Under Shinjiro’s request and Mitsuru’s demand, Akihiko took it easy for the next couple of days. He eased off on his training—while upping his protein intake—and accompanied the group to Tartarus, but didn’t fight, despite how difficult it was for him not to. It was even more difficult not having the choice to make for himself.

 

“You’ve all been doing wonderfully these last few nights,” Mitsuru said as the group was walking back to the dorm one night. “And how are we all feeling with the next full moon approaching?”

 

“I’m feeling good,” Junpei said. “We’re seriously gonna kick the next Shadow’s ass with no issues.”

 

“I definitely trust my skills more now,” Yukari went on.

 

“Yes, I’m more confident with my own, as well,” Fuuka said.

 

Mitsuru smiled. “Good. I’m glad to hear that.”

 

“What about you, Senpai?” Ken said to Akihiko. “How are you feeling?”

 

“He’s sitting this full moon operation out,” Shinjiro spoke up in his place. “His injury will be better by then, but he still won’t be in any condition to fight.”

 

“Hmm. I didn’t realise you were a doctor, Shinjiro,” Mitsuru said, smiling.

 

The brunette scoffed at her, but chuckled at the same time. “Shut up, Kirijo.”

 

“I’ll be fine to fight by the full moon,” Akihiko then said. “I already feel fine.”

 

“Bullshit.”

 

“Did you stitch him up yourself, Shinjiro-san?” Fuuka said.

 

“Yeah.”

 

Junpei’s eyes widened a bit. “Wait, wait…Mitsuru-san let you do that? And Akihiko-san let you do that?”

 

“Of course,” Akihiko said.

 

“Shinjiro wouldn’t have attempted such a thing on Akihiko if he hadn’t known what he was doing,” Mitsuru said.

 

The brunette cocked his head to the side. “Now both of you need to shut up.”

 

Yukari giggled a bit. “Awe, Senpai, I think you’re blushing.”

 

“Tch.” He raised his shoulders, stuffing his hands deeper into his pockets. “Whatever. All of you just shut up.”

 

The others laughed. Akihiko didn’t. He watched Shinjiro fall into a sulk. But when those steel eyes glanced over at him, he smiled. Shinjiro didn’t look for long, though, obviously having not expected the other to have been staring back at him. That was when Akihiko chuckled, even if it was just under his breath.


	14. XIV.

Akihiko awoke to his side feeling like it was on fire. He rolled out of bed and stumbled his way out of his room and towards Shinjiro’s. It was still early. Only a little after five o’clock. Shinjiro wasn’t a morning person; he wasn’t gonna be happy about being woken up. He’d be even less happy, though, if Akihiko ignored the pain.

 

He knocked on the door twice. He waited at least twelve seconds before he heard a grunt and the shuffling of feet. The door opened and Shinjiro’s hair was even more disheveled than usual. If it wasn’t for the pain in his side, he probably would’ve smiled at the sight of him so…vulnerable.

 

He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his palms. “The hell you want, Aki?”

 

“I must’ve slept on my side wrong,” he said.

 

That woke him up almost instantaneously. He ushered the other into his room, closing the door behind him quietly. Before Akihiko was even on the bed, Shinjiro already had his makeshift medical kit out. He pulled out a little brown bottle and Akihiko groaned at the sight of it.

 

“Do you really have to clean it? I mean, it should be fine by now.”

 

“C’mon, it doesn’t hurt that bad.”

 

“Oh yeah? Let me cut open your side and pour alcohol on it and you tell me it _doesn’t hurt that bad_.”

 

Shinjiro laughed. “You’re ridiculous.” He put the bottle aside. “Take your shirt off.”

 

The brunette hadn’t mean anything by the phrase, but it still brought a blush to Akihiko’s cheeks. He pulled his shirt off, keeping it beside him on the bed. Shinjiro knelt in front of him and removed the bandage.

 

“Hmm. Looks like you may have stretched a bit too much in your sleep and pulled at the stitching.” He picked the bottle back up and uncapped it. “Should be fine.” He pulled out a cloth and tipped the alcohol onto it. “Ready?”

 

“No,” he said.

 

“Tch. Stop being such a baby.”

 

He chuckled. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

 

Shinjiro placed a hand on Akihiko’s thigh and started dabbing at the cut. Typically, he would’ve braced himself for the sting, but all he could focus on was the hand on his thigh. A hand with long, slender fingers. Fingers with bent, calloused knuckles. It was a rough touch, but not in a bad way. A rough touch that sent shivers up his spine. That made goosebumps rise on his skin. A touch with a grip that was gentle, but concentrated. As concentrated as the look in his steel eyes.

 

“Hey, moron, you’re staring again,” Shinjiro spoke up.

 

“Kept me distracted,” he said back.

 

“True enough.” He put the cloth and alcohol away, never bringing his gaze higher than the cut. “What about me has been so intriguing to you lately?”

 

“I dunno. Maybe because this is the most I’ve seen you in the last two years.”

 

“Hmm.” He swallowed hard. “Not much about me has changed.”

 

“You couldn’t be more wrong.”

 

“That so?” He lightly traced his fingers over the pattern of the stitching. “These changes good or bad, then?”

 

“Both.”

 

Now he nodded. “Didn’t even have to think about that one.” He turned away as he began working on a new bandage.

 

“I didn’t mean—”

 

“It’s fine.”

 

He reached out to put a hand on the brunette’s shoulder. He then slid off the bed to seat himself next to the other on the floor. “Shinji…things change. People change. There’s nothing wrong with that. I mean, I’m sure I’ve changed in good and bad ways over the last two years, as well.”

 

“Like your bad protein habit, for instance.”

 

He laughed. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.” He gently elbowed Shinjiro’s arm, causing him to smile and look over at the other. It didn’t take long for Akihiko to look back. “Now you’re the one staring.”

 

“What? So you can stare, but I can’t?”

 

Another blush covered his cheeks, and he quickly brought his head down. He could still feel the other’s gaze on him, and it caused his cheeks to flush hotter. Then the brunette was chuckling.

 

“How does the cut feel?”

 

“Still stings.”

 

“That’s normal.”

 

Normal. That was a word Akihiko hadn’t thought about in quite a while. Hell, was any of this normal? His attitude? The brunette’s attitude? Their behaviour towards each other recently? Could any of it be considered normal? Because it suddenly seemed less normal than the Dark Hour and Personas and Tartarus. After all, he shouldn’t have been blushing so much at the way Shinjiro looked at him. At the ways he teased him. He shouldn’t have been enjoying the times when he could hold the other because he wouldn’t try to pull away. The times when they were no more than a breath apart. None of that should’ve been considered normal, but—That didn’t stop Akihiko from wanting it.

 

“Aki,” Shinjiro said, bringing him back to reality. “You okay?”

 

He smiled. “I’m fine.”

 

“Then lay down so I can bandage you back up.” He pulled himself back up onto the bed, and Shinjiro recovered his cut. “I should be able to remove the stitching before the next full moon. But that does not mean you’ll be allowed to fight.”

 

“C’mon, it’s still a good few days away.”

 

“No.”

 

“But—”

 

“Shut up and go back to bed. It’s just about six o’clock now, so there’s plenty more time to sleep.”

 

“Hmph.” Akihiko moved to sit up, but Shinjiro quickly—gently—pushed him back down as he crawled into bed beside him. “The hell are you—?”

 

“I didn’t mean your bed,” he said, his voice soft.

 

Damn it, he couldn’t help the grin that spread across his lips. And he was thankful the brunette had already closed his eyes. So, he lay curled up beside him, and closed his eyes as well.

 

Maybe this wasn’t normal, but nothing about his life ever had been. And he had always been okay with that. Just like he was okay with his best friend sleeping next to him


	15. XV.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gaahh, thanks again to everyone who has made it this far. We are so close to the end now, and I hope it's been enjoyable all the way through. Enjoyable...and frustrating and emotional and everything else in between. Just a few more parts after this, so please continue to stay tuned.

It was the night before the full moon. And rather than training in his own room like he had spent every other pre-full-moon night, Akihiko was in Shinjiro’s room writhing in pain as the brunette removed his stitching.

 

“Is it supposed to hurt this much?” he said.

 

“I may know what I’m doing, but I still ain’t a professional,” Shinjiro said. “The cut has healed, for the most part, but that ain’t necessarily gonna stop the pain.”

 

“For the most part?”

 

“Stitches ain’t the entire healing process, moron.”

 

“Sorry, forgot I wasn’t a doctor like you are.”

 

“Shut up. You’d still be bleeding if it weren’t for me.”

 

He chuckled a bit, and that was the end of the conversation. Shinjiro put all his focus back into removing the stitches. As for Akihiko, well, he tried his hardest to focus on just about anything else. First he tried focusing on the room itself. The patterns in the design of the wallpaper. The corners where it was starting to tear and peel. The corners where it looked as if Shinjiro had attempted to remove it himself and failed. The carpeted floors. Shinjiro’s desk. The way some corners where chipping. The way the drawer handles seemed to be coming loose. He looked everywhere…

 

Then his eyes landed on the brunette kneeling before him. So, he decided to watch him instead. He didn’t observe what he was doing; he just focused on him. He focused on him like he had done so many times before over the course of the last month. And watching him while they were in his room was the best time to do so because Shinjiro didn’t wear his coat when they were in his room. Sometimes he even ventured so far as to take off the beanie. This was one of those times.

 

His shoulders were rigid. Broad, but thin like the rest of his body. His collarbones were definitely more exposed than they should have been. Akihiko had no idea what Shinjiro’s diet had been like during the two years he lived on the streets, but it couldn’t have been any good. He wasn’t even sure if it was good now. Though, the brunette would still argue it was better than Akihiko’s diet because it didn’t contain any protein powder or shakes in it.

 

Either way, he didn’t like the way the brunette’s bones protruded from his body. Nor did he like the way he would violently shiver at times, despite the dorm being at a regulated temperature. He also didn’t like the bags under his eyes. The redness to them.

 

He blamed the pills. As far as he was concerned, Shinjiro stopped taking them practically the moment Akihiko found out about them. It wasn’t something they had discussed; it was just something he assumed. Something he hoped for. That didn’t stop the side effects, though. Not yet, at least. Not enough time had passed for Shinjiro’s system to have fully gone through detox. He wasn’t even positive if the brunette would ever get over the side effects. That was something else he could only wish for.

 

Suddenly, Akihiko let out a small hiss. Shinjiro stopped his movements, pulling his hands away a little.

 

“I’m getting into a more sensitive area now,” the brunette spoke up. “Need me to numb it? Because I can go get ice.”

 

“Just keep going,” Akihiko said. “I’ll manage.”

 

“If you say so…”

 

Without another word, Shinjiro continued his actions. Akihiko let out another hiss and clenched his jaw before trying to go on with distracting himself. He looked around the room again, unable to find anything to focus on rather than the brunette before him. So, that was what—who—he continued focusing on.

 

His eyes traced the lines in his arms. The veins. Then his eyes found their way to his hair. It was unkempt, but he liked it like that. Shinjiro had never been the neatest person, so having hair that wasn’t kept neat just suited him. Strands of brown fell in front of eyes, though he couldn’t get a good look at them seeing as they were so focused on removing the stitches from his cut. So, his eyes moved down to the simple white t-shirt Shinjiro was wearing. It sat loosely on his shoulders, bunching up at his waist from the way he was seated. There were wrinkles in it, and the hemming was coming undone in a few places around the arms and towards the bottom.

 

“C’mon, am I really the only thing that can keep your mind off the pain?” Shinjiro broke the silence yet again.

 

“So it would seem,” Akihiko said.

 

“Well, I’m done. You have officially been unstitched.”

 

“Now what?”

 

“You still gotta let me clean it. And you might wanna consistently wear your boxing gloves for the next few days because those’ll probably be the only things that’ll keep you from scratching at the damn thing.”

 

He nodded his head once. “Thanks.”

 

He rose to his feet and the brunette cleaned up his little mess. Akihiko made his way for the door, but hesitated over the knob. He needed an excuse to stay, and he wasn’t sure why he didn’t already have one.

 

“Hold on,” Shinjiro then said. “I have something for you.”

 

He let out a sigh of relief, hoping the other couldn’t hear it. “What? You mean like a—a gift of sorts?”

 

“Sure. You could think of it as a late birthday present.”

 

“Wait,” he walked back over to the brunette, “you mean you actually have something to give me?”

 

“Yeah, moron. That’s what I meant when I said I have something for you.” He swallowed hard before holding out a small box. “Here.”

 

Akihiko took the box, doing his best to hold back a smile. As well as a blush. He carefully opened it, and then removed its contents. It was an old leather watch. “Isn’t this—?”

 

“I’ve had that thing for…I don’t even know how long now. But I’ve been thinking, and I want you to hold on to it from now on.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because it’s special to me and I know you’ll take good care of it.”

 

“Shinji—”

 

“Just accept the damn thing.”

 

He let out an exasperated laugh, shaking his head. “Thank you.” He put the box down to put the watch on. “This means a lot to me.” The brunette was avoiding the other’s gaze. Rather than force him to make eye contact, though, Akihiko just let it go. “I’ll, uh, see you in the morning.”

 

“Right. Come see me again so I can clean the cut for you.”

 

“I will.”

 

With that, he took his leave. But when his hand reached the knob, Shinjiro’s hand reached the door, keeping it closed.

 

“We’ve been in this position before,” Akihiko said. He hadn’t meant to say it out loud, but it just sorta happened anyhow.

 

“There’s something else,” Shinjiro said.

 

He turned to face the brunette. Before he could say anything, though, Shinjiro pushed him against the door, leaning his body into the other’s. Then there was a hand cupping his cheek and lips pressed against his. It was chaste. Soft, despite chapped lips. Gentle. And it ended almost as soon as it had happened, but their foreheads and noses remained connected.

 

“I’ve been wanting to do that for so long now,” Shinjiro said, his voice barely a whisper. He smiled. “I hope that was okay.”

 

Akihiko didn’t bother with a spoken response. Instead, he just leaned forward so he could kiss the brunette again. Harder this time. Deeper. Longer. Long enough for everything to finally fall into place.

 

When they broke apart this time, Shinjiro stepped away. He cleared his throat and shook his head before taking a deep breath. Akihiko couldn’t help but smile. He smiled as he held himself back, since all he wanted to do was follow the brunette and kiss him all over again.

 

“It was okay,” he said instead.

 

Shinjiro, who had begun pacing in circles, stopped dead in his tracks and laughed almost anxiously. “Good to know.”

 

“I should probably go back to my room now, huh?”

 

“Not gonna lie,” he swallowed hard, “that would probably be for the best.”

 

Akihiko blushed. “Shinji…”

 

The brunette stepped back up to him to kiss him once more. This time, with more passion. His hands were on the other’s hips, while Akihiko’s hands found purchase on Shinjiro’s arms. And they remained like that until Shinjiro pulled away with a shaky breath.

 

“Get outta here,” he said.

 

Akihiko still smiled. “Goodnight.”

 

“Tch.” Now Shinjiro was the one blushing. “G’night, moron.”

 

That was when he finally left the brunette’s bedroom to return to his own. Once he was on the other side of his door, he slid to the floor with a contented sigh. At the start of the month, when Shinjiro first rejoined the group, he never would’ve imagined things would turn out this way. Not that he was complaining. He was used to unexpected things happening in his life. But this unanticipated event was more than welcome.

 

Forget about normality. This was what he wanted.


	16. XVI.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just wanted to let y'all know that this particular part pulls from a scene from the game itself. So it's that plus some "inner dialogue" or whatever, haha

White walls weren’t normal. Waiting rooms weren’t normal. Hospitals weren’t normal. Yet, that was exactly where Akihiko found himself after the full moon excursion. In a hospital, sitting in a waiting room, surrounded by white walls.

 

 _This is how it should be_. No. This wasn’t normal.

 

And it was then that the days started to blur. He would lose track of time and lose himself in his training or in his schoolwork. It was all just a distraction. He had to keep his mind busy or else he would think about that night. He would think about how he was unable to protect Shinjiro. To help him. To save him…

 

He didn’t let that side of him show to the others. As far as they were concerned, he was stable.

 

What Akihiko hated most was that he couldn’t visit him. He had managed to sneak into the brunette’s room at least two times before getting caught the third time. That got him into a good amount of trouble. Shinjiro would’ve shaken his head at him. Called him a moron. Told him he was being ridiculous. He secretly would’ve been proud of him, too, though.

 

In the beginning, the Dark Hour had been an exhilarating experience. Now it just seemed like a burden. Like the weight of the world was resting on his shoulders, and he wasn’t nearly strong enough to carry it. To hold it up.

 

Then came the point when the fate of the world was in his hands, as well as everyone else’s.

 

The Fall.

 

“Well, it’s been a week,” Yukari said one night after the group had learned everything about the coming of Nyx. “What’re we going to do?” She looked around until her eyes landed on her classmate. “You okay, Fuuka?”

 

Fuuka’s eyes were wide. “You just seem so calm.”

 

“We have to make a decision. I mean, it’s been such a drag around here lately, and no one will go Tartarus…”

 

That was true. Even Akihiko had lost his motivation to keep fighting. Didn’t help that he still couldn’t see—

 

“You’re right,” Mitsuru then said. “We humans are quite resilient. We can adapt to any situation, given enough time. So, how about it, everyone? Why don’t we talk about it?”

 

Silence took over the group. No one seemed willing to jump into the discussion. Or start it, for that matter.

 

“Have you made your decision, Sanada-san?” Ken spoke up.

 

The directness almost startled him. “No,” Akihiko said. He thought for a moment. Given all that had happened—despite everything that had happened—he had to do what would be best for him. And he wanted to do what would make Shinjiro proud, because if the brunette was going to—when he finally would—wake up, he wanted to be able to tell him he had managed to stay strong. “But I don’t plan on running away.”

 

“So, you’re going to fight Nyx?” Mitsuru said.

 

“I don’t know.” He had to think rationally now. “I mean, it’s supposedly undefeatable.” He paused. “What about you? What are your thoughts on it?”

 

“Honestly, this is the first time I’ve ever really contemplated my own death. It’s quite a sobering thought.” She sighed. “I don’t want to suffer…and I don’t want to kill Ryoji. But either way, we still die. So, there is no simple answer.”

 

“Then…do we all agree that we don’t want to hurt Ryoji-kun?” Fuuka said.

 

“Is that how you feel?” Akihiko said. He was still unsure himself. Just couldn’t decide if it would make a difference to him or not.

 

“Well, I—uhm…”

 

“It’s okay, Fuuka,” Yukari said. “I mean, it’s not natural to choose how you’re going to die.” She paused. “What about you, Junpei? Have you decided?”

 

Junpei shook his head. “No…”

 

“What’s the matter? Scared?”

 

“What the hell do you mean by that? You think this is a joke?”

 

“Junpei, I—”

 

“We’re going to die. Of course I’m scared. You all need to wake up. This is death we’re talking about here.”

 

“Then what do you want to do?” Mitsuru said. “Do you want to kill him?”

 

“There’s nothing I can do.” He looked towards Minato. “He’s the only one who can kill him.” He paused. “Come to think of it, it’s all your fault. You had that thing inside you and didn’t even know it. You raised it, damn it. This is all your fault. So, you should do something about it. You’re supposed to be _special_ , right?”

 

Minato kept his composure. “I won’t run away.”

 

“Stop it, Junpei,” Yukari said. “It’s not his fault… And the only reason we’ve even been given a choice is because he carried it.”

 

He scrunched his nose out of exasperation. “I know that, damn it. But…”

 

“I’m sorry I teased you, Junpei. I was just trying to lighten up the situation.” She thought for a moment. “Personally, I don’t want to forget everything. I’ve learned so much since coming here.”

 

Now he shook his head. “I’ve never really talked about this before, but…my old man was an alcoholic. He started drinking after he was tricked into investing his life savings in some telemarketing scam. He drank until he passed out so he didn’t have to face reality, and I hated him for it…” His gaze dropped to the floor. “Now I understand how he felt. Everything seems hopeless. I’m so scared.”

 

“I know how you feel, Junpei-kun,” Fuuka said. “I’m scared, too.”

 

“Yeah, we’re all scared,” Akihiko said. _Terrified_.

 

Mitsuru nodded. “Yes, I—I can’t stop shaking.”

 

“Me either,” Yukari said.

 

Junpei sighed. “Yuka-tan…”

 

Silence fell upon the group yet again. Akihiko couldn’t make eye contact with any of the others, yet he sensed a pair of eyes staring at him. And he had a strong feeling that gaze belonged to Amada. So, he definitely wasn’t ready to look back yet. Instead, he fiddled with the watch around his wrist.

 

“All right, I don’t think we’re prepared to make a decision just yet,” Mitsuru soon spoke up. “Ryoji said he’ll be back on New Year’s Eve, so we still have some time to think about it. So, until then, let’s just try to live our lives as normally as possible.”

 

Akihiko held back a scoff. Normal? Nothing about this was normal. And as he looked the group over, he couldn’t help but think about what Shinjiro would have to say. After all, the brunette had never been one to open up about his emotions. So, he more than likely would’ve made himself seem indifferent about the scenario to the group.

 

Behind closed doors, though, when it was just him and Akihiko… That’s when the truth would’ve come out. And Shinjiro would fight. Hell, he’d already looked Death in the face when he took that bullet for Amada. So, there was absolutely no doubt in Akihiko’s mind that the brunette would’ve already made the decision to face Nyx.

 

To face the end of the world, though? Well, that was a whole other story. And all Akihiko could think about was how he wanted nothing more than to have Shinjiro at his side to face the Fall.

 

At this rate, though, it looked like he’d be standing at the end alone.


	17. XVII.

The days continued passing. Every so often, Akihiko would stop by the hospital to check on Shinjiro. Every time, the nurses told him the same damn thing. _He’s stable, but there’s still been no change in his condition. It’s only been a couple months, though, so there’s still time for things to turn around. Don’t give up on him just yet._

 

It was all bullshit. He felt as if they were reading from a script when they spoke to him; it was routine dialogue. Only meant to impose fake hope within the patients’ visitors. Not that Akihiko didn’t believe in Shinjiro. He knew the brunette was strong enough to get through this. And if not, well, the end of the world was coming. So, then they’d be able to meet up again on the other side.

 

On the day of New Year’s Eve, Akihiko was out for a run when he came across Amada and Koromaru at the Shrine. He and the kid had made their resolve already. The kid had almost been shocked at how forgiving Akihiko was towards him. Akihiko knew better, though. He wasn’t one to typically hold grudges, and he knew Shinjiro wouldn’t want him to, either. So, when he saw them, he decided to take a short break.

 

“Hey, Senpai,” Ken greeted him. “Don’t tell me you’re jogging in this weather?”

 

He chuckled a bit. “Yet it’s okay for you to take Koromaru out for a walk when it’s this chilly.”

 

“Good point, but…” He sighed. “Today could be the last chance I have to do this.”

 

“Oh yeah, tonight is decision time, huh?”

 

“Exactly. Which means there’s the possibility we could all forget each other by tomorrow. So, I wanted to take Koro-chan out for one more walk, just in case.”

 

Koromaru whimpered, nuzzling at Amada’s legs.

 

“We’ve chosen to stand and fight, though,” Akihiko said. “So, there’s really no reason we should forget anything come tomorrow.”

 

“Yes, but it’s ultimately Minato-senpai’s decision.”

 

“Huh…I guess that’s true.” He paused for a moment, thinking. “Well, he doesn’t seem like the type to run away from a good battle. That’s how he became the leader in the first place.”

 

“That’s true, too.”

 

Koromaru then started barking as he ran around in a little circle.

 

“Wish Aigis-san was here to translate,” Ken said.

 

“I bet he’s saying that…whether we fight or not, and whether we remember or not, we’ll still always be teammates. Nothing can take that away from us.”

 

Now he smiled. “Thanks, Senpai. I bet you’re right.”

 

He smiled back. “C’mon, let’s head home. It’s getting late.”

 

The three of them then made their way back to the dorm. When they arrived, they found the others were all seated in the lounge. Waiting. The atmosphere was tense. Stiff. Akihiko would’ve given anything for a hand to hold. To squeeze. For Shinjiro’s hand. Hell, he just wanted the brunette. Him being there with everyone wouldn’t have changed the outcome of anything, but it still would’ve helped Akihiko feel at least a little better. More relaxed. More confident. Less alone.

 

Then Ryoji showed up. He looked and acted the same as he always had, except there was something serious about his presence. Something foreboding. When he arrived, there had been a blatant shift in the atmosphere that only proved the coming of the Fall. It proved that, after this night, nothing would ever be the same.

 

After this night, there would be no turning back.


	18. XVIII.

Akihiko rolled out of bed, his head throbbing. _That was an intense dream_. He had dreamt of a long, arduous battle against…something. He wasn’t entirely sure what the creature had been. The battle had been a strenuous one, though. Full of what looked like shadowy beings. It was strange and felt almost all too real. Worse yet, it was at the least the fourth time that month he had had that same exact dream.

 

He shook his head, rising to his feet. He made his way over to his bureau and pulled out his uniform. He pulled his pants on, pausing before putting his shirt on. He looked down at himself and ran his fingers along a scar that stretched across his waist. He couldn’t for the life of him remember where it had come from. His boxing teammates tried telling him he got it from one of his fights, and he went along with it for their sake. Something told him that couldn’t be it, though; that there was more to it… He let out a heavy sigh before finally throwing his shirt on.

 

It was frustrating. When he thought back on the last year, he felt as if there was so much he was forgetting. Things he was somehow missing out on. It didn’t make any sense to him. And it all started with that damn dream.

 

He found himself shaking his head again. He didn’t want all that on his mind. There were more important things to be thinking about. After all, today was Graduation Day.

 

The Ceremony started off like any other would have. Everything about it was seemingly normal. Akihiko was sitting with the rest of the senior class, silently trying to convince himself that nothing felt off.

 

“Next, a word from the valedictorian,” a teacher said once another class representative had finished speaking. “From Class D, Mitsuru Kirijo.”

 

“Thank you.” Mitsuru said, stepping up to the podium. “This last year, I accepted an important responsibility as Student Council President,” she then began. “When I first addressed you from this podium, I spoke to you all about seizing opportunity while you had the chance… Well, it must have been fate that intervened and gave me an important reminder of this…. As many of you may know, my father unexpectedly—” She paused for a moment. “—He unexpectedly passed away due to sudden illness…” She stopped again, holding her head now.

 

Akihiko listened intently as he practically held himself back from wanting to jump to his feet in protest. _No, that doesn’t seem right_. He vaguely recalled the night Mitsuru’s father passed away, and it couldn’t have been just an illness.

 

“Sudden illness?” she went on.

 

“Wow, that’s rare,” a fellow senior nearby whispered. “I’ve never heard her stumble in a speech before.”

 

“It’s a big day,” another classmate said. “It must be tough thinking about her father.”

 

He was tracing the face of the watch around his wrist when it suddenly hit Akihiko all at once. Every memory he felt he was missing over the last year came back to him. The Dark Hour. Tartarus. Shadows. And that reoccurring dream wasn’t just a dream; it had been real life. The Fall. The battle against Nyx. The memories flooded his mind until he could no longer remain seated. So, he rose to his feet, all eyes around him turning their attention on him. He ignored their gazes, though, as well as their murmurs.

 

“I remember…” Mitsuru then attempted to continue her speech. “Yes… With my father’s death, I lost my purpose in life…”

 

He looked around the auditorium. The first person he managed to spot was Iori, so that’s who he sought out. Once he reached him, he pulled him to his feet.

 

“Akihiko-senpai, what’s up?” Junpei said.

 

He ignored the question. Instead, he continued looking around the auditorium. His eyes landed on Takeba and Yamagishi as they also rose to their feet. The four of them moved to gather in the aisle.

 

“But now I have something to live for,” Mitsuru went on. “No longer will I run from the future. I will face it head on, carrying out my father’s will. I am resolved and without reservation.”

 

The other four reached each other in the middle of the aisle. They almost seemed like they were still unsure as to why they were acting the way they were, but then—

 

Junpei smiled wide. “The promise.”

 

With that, they made their way towards the stage.

 

“I owe it all to my invaluable friends,” Mitsuru still continued. “And we have promised to never lose hope, no matter what tomorrow may bring.”

 

She then leaped from the stage, knocking over the microphone that had been settled on the podium. The crowd broke into an uproar, which went ignored by the group.

 

“Senpai, we made a promise,” Yukari said. “Let’s find him, and Aigis, too.”

 

“Yes, I can hardly wait,” Mitsuru said. “Everyone, let’s go.”

 

And they all went running for the door, making their way to the rooftop. What they found was everything they had been expecting, and everything they hadn’t been.

 

The doctors couldn’t find anything wrong with Minato. It was like he had just…gone to sleep. That was almost relieving to the group; to know it was peaceful. Not having any answers as to why or how it happened, though, was disconcerting. But there was nothing more any of them could do to even try to help now.

 

Most of the group returned to the dorm. A reunion that was supposed to be celebratory turned into…well… No one wanted to think about why it had to be him. Why he had to be the only one. Why they would never get an explanation.

 

But that wasn’t why Akihiko remained at the hospital. He stayed surrounded by those white walls because of something else. Some _one_ else.

 

“Senpai?” Ken said.

 

He jolted a bit. “Amada. I thought you left with the others.”

 

“I did…until I realised you had stayed behind.”

 

He swallowed hard. “Shinji’s still here. At least…I would assume he is. When I lost my memory, I—I stopped checking in on him. Now I’m afraid to ask.”

 

“Sanada-san…”

 

“Guess I really shouldn’t get my hopes up. It has been five months, after all.”

 

“Do you want me to ask for you?”

 

“You don’t have to do that.”

 

“I’ll ask for you.”

 

Before Akihiko could say anything else to stop him, Ken had already gotten the attention of one of the nurses passing by. Then, as he waited for their conversation to end, it felt as if time had stopped. Hell, he wished he could stop time. He wished there was at least one thing in his life he could have control over in this moment. Just one damn thing…

 

And if he could choose that one thing, it would be the answer Amada was about to give him.

 

Ken took a deep breath once he rejoined Akihiko. “Well…all they could tell me was that Shinjiro-san was transferred out on the first of February.”

 

“The day after the battle,” Akihiko said, nodding. “Figures…”

 

“They couldn’t tell me where to, either.”

 

“Don’t worry about it. At least I know he’s all right… Maybe…” He sighed. “Damn it, I just—If he doesn’t—What if—?”

 

“Senpai,” Ken said before smiling reassuringly at him. “I’m sure he’s fine. And I’m sure you’ll see him again someday soon.”

 

“Yeah. And if I don’t, I can just assume he’s dead.”

 

“C’mon, don’t say that.”

 

“Well, I don’t know what else to say. After everything’s that already happened today…” He shook his head with another sigh. “I’m sorry.”

 

“It’s okay, Sanada-san. I don’t think hanging around the hospital any longer is gonna help you, though. It’ll probably only stress you out more.”

 

“I know, but I don’t think going back to the dorm will help me, either.”

 

“Hmm… How about we go to the Shrine, then?”

 

Akihiko chuckled a bit, but didn’t refuse. He knew the kid wasn’t gonna give up on trying to help him feel better, so he figured he might as well play along. After all, there wasn’t anything he could do to bring Shinjiro back. He could try to track him down, but there was no telling how long that would take. Hell, he didn’t even know where to begin. So, he could only hope Amada was right. That he would see the brunette again someday. Until that day, though, he would live his life as a normal teenager.

 

Normal. Now that the Dark Hour had ended, that should be easy to achieve, right? He should be able to live normally. No Personas or exploring Tartarus or any of that. Just college and finding a job. That would be his focus. Didn’t sound half bad, either. At one point in his life, he would’ve hated putting his attention into activities like that.

 

Never had he craved normality so much in his life.


	19. XIX.

By the beginning of August, Akihiko was living in a small apartment. There wasn’t much to it, but that was okay. He didn’t need decorations or any of that; he just needed a place where he could eat and sleep. Besides, he spent most of his time bouncing between work, school, and the gym.

 

He lost touch with most of the others. Once he turned in his Evoker, he chose to go his separate way. Though, he still heard from Mitsuru and Iori every so often. Amada was the only one who checked in with him on a kind of regular basis. The kid had gone his separate way, too, making sure to focus strictly on his schoolwork over anything else.

 

There was still that one person he was waiting to hear from, though. He tried his damn hardest to not think about him, too. He really did. But there were times when the brunette still consumed Akihiko’s every thought. Especially whenever he caught glimpses of that old leather watch sitting on his bureau; its new home. Most days it was too hard to wear it. Too painful.

 

Despite everything, Akihiko took his life one day at a time. He lived it out as normally as he possibly could. He didn’t try to forget, but he didn’t spend much time reminiscing, either. Memories never made anything easier.

 

It was all good, too. Until, that is, October rolled around. That was when things got a bit harder for him again. That was when he couldn’t do anything but reminisce. And it was on the eve of October fourth when he got a knock on his door. So, he took a deep breath before answering, expecting it to be Amada or the girls or…whoever.

 

It ended up being someone even better.

 

“Shinji?” he said, unable to believe his own eyes.

 

The brunette was standing on the other side of the door, wearing the same stupid beanie and coat and everything, though his hair was a little shorter. There was also a bag slung over his shoulder and a smile on his face. An actual, godforsaken smile.

 

“Hey, moron,” he said back. “Gonna let me in?”

 

Akihiko recomposed himself and stepped aside, granting Shinjiro entrance into his small apartment. The brunette tossed his bag down, looking around a bit before taking a seat on the futon. Akihiko closed the door, refusing to take his eyes off the other.

 

“Still have a bad habit of staring, I see,” Shinjiro spoke up.

 

He laughed fretfully. “I’m sorry, I just… I can’t believe you’re here. You’re alive.”

 

“Woke up the first day of February.”

 

Now his face scrunched up. “Huh?”

 

The brunette gestured for the other to join him on the futon, so he did. “They transferred me to another hospital pretty much as soon as I came to.” He shrugged. “I dunno. Guess they thought I’d be better off since it was a place specifically for rehabilitation.”

 

“If you woke up…eight months ago, then why are you only just—?”

 

“I needed time to recover, Aki. Hell, I’ve been going through months of physical therapy and mental therapy and…all kinds of therapy. C’mon, a guy doesn’t just wake up from a six-month coma and get better after a day or two.”

 

“You still could’ve gotten in touch with me somehow.”

 

“I wanted to give you a chance to settle down into a normal life.” He looked around the apartment again. “Looks like you have.”

 

“Didn’t have much of a choice.”

 

“Well, I’m here now.”

 

“And how are you doing? Physically? Mentally?”

 

“Much better than when I first woke up. You should actually be thankful you never got to see me like that. I don’t think you would’ve liked it very much. A lot of anger and a lot of tantrums.”

 

“I would’ve been happy just knowing you were alive, Shinji.”

 

“Now you can be happy that I’m here.”

 

He blushed a little, but it quickly faded. “Are you on any sort of medication?”

 

“I was at first, but after the suppressants I took, I told them I would prefer not to have to rely on drugs.”

 

“A-and are you smoking still?”

 

“You’re kidding, right? I quit way back when you had asked me to.”

 

“Oh…I don’t think I ever got the chance to even realise…”

 

He chuckled at him. “Moron.”

 

And there was the blush again. “Uhm, can I get anything for you?” he said, changing the subject. He rose to his feet, moving towards the so-called kitchen. “I could make food. Or I could make coffee or tea or—”

 

“Tell me you have food in this house that isn’t instant ramen or protein.”

 

He paused. “Uhm…”

 

Shinjiro laughed again. “You’re ridiculous. Still.”

 

He smiled sheepishly. “I-I see you brought a bag with you,” he then said, changing the subject yet again as the brunette removed himself from the futon to follow the other into the kitchen. “Do you need a place to stay? Because you’re more than welcome to stay here until you find a place of your own. Or…y’know, you could just stay here in general. I mean, it’s up to you.”

 

“Would you relax?” he said. “What are you getting so uptight about?”

 

“N-nothing.” He paused, swallowing hard and refusing to look over at the other as he drew nearer. “Oh, uhm, I bet the others would be ecstatic to see you and to know that you’re alive and well. Especially Amada and Kirijo. I haven’t spoken to them in a while, but maybe we should all try to get together soon.”

 

“Hey, moron, you seeing anyone?” Shinjiro then said.

 

That caught Akihiko off guard. “Huh? Why would you ask that?”

 

“Shut up and answer the damn question.”

 

There was a…particular look on the brunette’s face. A slight twitch at the corners of his lips that made Akihiko’s stomach flip. He felt as if it should’ve been obvious, yet he was having a hard time reading it.

 

“N-no… No, I—I’m not seeing anyone.”

 

Next thing he knew, Shinjiro’s hands were on his hips, pinning him against the nearest wall. Then the brunette’s lips were connecting with his. And it was all he could do to kiss him back and pull him even closer. And when the brunette squeezed his hips, he couldn’t hold back the moan that erupted and was muffled between lips.

 

Shinjiro chuckled. It was that deep sound; low in the back of his throat. “Never heard you make that sound before.”

 

Another blush spread across Akihiko’s cheeks, his nerves on fire. “Shut up.” He paused as he looked the brunette up and down for the first time in a year. “So…what would you have done if I told you I was seeing someone?”

 

“Then I would’ve left it up to you to make the first move.”

 

“That doesn’t seem very fair.”

 

“Are we really gonna have this discussion right now?”

 

He laughed a little. “What? Losing your patience?”

 

The brunette ground his hips against the other’s in response. Akihiko let out a small gasp, and Shinjiro smirked.

 

“Seems I ain’t the only one,” he said.

 

Shinjiro held the other’s face in his hands before kissing him again. This time it was more gentle. Sensual. Chaste. It was everything Akihiko had been waiting for, and it was worth the wait.

 

“You have no idea how much I’ve missed you,” Akihiko said once they broke apart. His voice was barely a whisper.

 

Shinjiro caressed his cheeks with his thumbs. “I think I have a pretty good idea.”

 

No other words were said. Instead, they exchanged kisses and grunts and moans. They made their way for Akihiko’s bedroom, tugging at each other’s clothes. First Shinjiro’s coat came off. Then his shirt, which took his beanie along with it. Akihiko couldn’t help but notice how much healthier the brunette looked. More filled out than he ever was back in high school. It helped him realise even more that this was real. It wasn’t all just in his head. He had the brunette right at the ends of his fingertips.

 

Suddenly, Shinjiro fell onto the bed, pulling Akihiko down on top of him. That was when his own shirt came off, causing the brunette to pause. He lightly traced his fingers along the scar on the side of his waist, sending a shiver up the other’s spine. In return, Akihiko circled the two scars Shinjiro had on his chest.

 

“I wish I could’ve helped you the way you helped me,” Akihiko said.

 

“Tch. Don’t be a moron.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“They were two totally different injuries,” Shinjiro said. “You wouldn’t have been able to stitch a bullet wound the same way I stitched your cut.”

 

“I guess, but still…”

 

He smiled, pulling the other down until he was lying flat against him. “C’mon, it’s in the past now. Just forget about it.”

 

A light blush spread across his cheeks. “I’m glad you’re here, Shinji.”

 

“Yeah. Me too, Aki.”

 

Words left them again. So, they found themselves kissing again. Then pants were being discarded. Hands were roaming. Touching every and any body part they could manage to reach. Legs were intertwined. Lips were on necks and shoulders and collarbones. They lost track of their own bodies, unable to decipher where one began and the other ended. They moved together. Swayed together. Groaned and gasped together. The only coherent words were that of each other’s names rolling off their tongues.

 

In this instant, nothing else existed. The past had been left behind, and the future had yet to unwind. There was only the present moment. Whether it was the end of the world or the start of a new one, it didn’t make a difference. Because, in this instant, nothing else in the world even mattered.


	20. XX.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've finally made it to the last chapter. Y'know, this is always such a bittersweet moment...  
> Thank you, again, to everyone who has stuck with me through this story. I hope you all enjoyed it and that it was worth your time and investment.
> 
> And for anyone who may care, I do have a couple other AkixShinji fics in the works, so stay tuned x3

With Shinjiro’s return, Akihiko became much more motivated to go about his daily life as he once used to. He had the drive to do so many of the things he had stopped doing months prior. He gave himself more free time and let himself sit and relax and think about…well, anything and everything. And, for the first time in the longest time, he was happy. He could smile and laugh without feeling guilty. Without it feeling fake.

 

As for Shinjiro, he took a couple months to settle in while Akihiko attended school. He took up cooking again, making sure Akihiko got at least four real meals each week. Soon enough, his hobby was able to become a job when he got a position at a small, hole-in-the-wall restaurant, just outside the city.

 

It was during their first Golden Week back together when they got taken aback with a bit of a surprise.

 

Shinjiro was working that afternoon, but Akihiko had the holiday week off. And while he was waiting for the brunette to return home, there was a knock on his door. He found that strange, seeing as they never had company over. When he opened the door, though, a small dog barged inside.

 

“What the—?” His gaze followed the Shiba Inu before returning to the group of people standing on the other side of the door.

 

“Hey, Senpai,” Ken greeted him with an uncertain smile. “Hope this is okay.”

 

“Uhm…” Akihiko said.

 

On the other side of the door stood Amada. And Mitsuru. As well as Iori, Aigis, Takeba, and Yamagishi.

 

“You lost touch,” Fuuka said. “And we’ve missed you. So, we wanted to visit you.”

 

“Are you not happy to see us?” Aigis said. “You look paler than usual.”

 

Now Akihiko shook his head, returning to his senses. “No, it’s not like that at all. It’s just that I have a lot going on, so it’s hard to keep up with…anything, really.”

 

“Well, you have a lot of catching up to do, Senpai,” Yukari said.

 

He chuckled. “Come on in.”

 

Everyone filed inside, and he closed the door behind them. They seated themselves in the tiny living area. Akihiko observed for a moment before moving towards the kitchen to brew a pot of coffee. Mitsuru joined him.

 

“It’s good to see you,” she said.

 

“You too.”

 

She paused. “How have you been?”

 

“I’ve been good.”

 

“Yes?”

 

He let out a heavy sigh. “Is that what this is about?” He turned towards the others. “You all haven’t heard from me, so you’re checking up on me? Making sure…what? That I’m still alive?”

 

Koromaru whimpered, walking over to him to nuzzle at his legs. He knelt with another sigh to pet at his head.

 

“C’mon, Sanada-san, we’ve been worried about you,” Junpei said. “That so wrong?”

 

“I mean, you used to keep in touch with me regularly,” Ken said. “Then I stopped hearing from you just like that.”

 

“There was a point when we were all teammates. When we were all friends,” Yukari said. “What happened to that?”

 

Akihiko shrugged. “Nothing happened. Things just change.”

 

“I’m assuming this is about Shinjiro,” Mitsuru spoke back up. “You never got any sort of closure with him so—”

 

Just then, the front door swung open and Shinjiro stepped inside. Before he even had a chance to think about saying anything, though, his eyes landed on the group and silenced him. Akihiko rose back to his feet as Koromaru practically pounced at the brunette.

 

“Senpai?” Ken said, also rising to his feet.

 

Mitsuru’s eyes widened. “Shinjiro…you’re—”

 

“Alive,” Shinjiro said, kneeling and petting the ecstatic Shiba Inu. “Yeah, I am.” The dog rolled onto his stomach and he rubbed his belly, smiling. “Surprised?”

 

“Hell yeah, we’re surprised.” Junpei laughed incredulously.  “Man, this is just…” He shook his head. “It’s incredible.”

 

“When did you come back, Shinjiro-san?” Fuuka said.

 

“Uhm…October fourth,” the brunette said. “So, exactly a year after the incident.”

 

“What took you so long?” Yukari said.

 

“Therapy. Physical, mental…there was a lot of shit I had to go through.”

 

Aigis stepped up to him. “Initiating scan.” She pulled him back to his feet, but he didn’t resist. “Shinjiro Aragaki. Slight brain trauma. No major damage. Overall healthy.”

 

“Tch. Y’know, hearing that from you is somehow more reassuring than hearing it from the doctors.”

 

“No kidding,” Akihiko spoke up.

 

“Senpai…” Ken repeated. He let out a little huff before rushing over to the brunette and wrapping his arms around his waist in a tight hug.

 

Shinjiro chuckled, resting his hands on Amada’s back in return. “Hey, kid.”

 

“I’m so sorry.”

 

“Tch.” He pulled him away and placed his hands firm on Amada’s shoulders now. “You don’t gotta apologise to me.”

 

“But—”

 

He shook his head. “No. I forgave you the night all this shit went down. And I still forgive you now.”

 

He swallowed hard. “I’m glad you’re okay, Senpai.”

 

“Seriously, why didn’t you tell us about this?” Junpei said. “I mean, this is huge freaking news. And you’ve been keeping it from us for—” he paused, thinking, “—seven months now,” he then went on. “What gives?”

 

Akihiko and Shinjiro exchanged glances, eyebrows raised. Did they want to come out about their relationship? Or did they want to give the others some sort of cover up story? Either way, they both felt as if they didn’t have a good enough excuse for keeping the information to themselves other than wanting to keep _each other_ to themselves.

 

“I do believe that isn’t any of our business,” Mitsuru then spoke up. “I’m sure they both have their reasons.”

 

“Well, you’re all here, so let’s treat this like a real reunion,” Shinjiro said. “I’ll cook.”

 

“No, let’s order out,” Yukari said. “You should be able to enjoy the evening with the rest of us.”

 

“He’ll enjoy it more if he can cook,” Akihiko said. “That’s what he does, after all.”

 

Fuuka smiled. “I didn’t know you enjoyed cooking, Senpai.”

 

Akihiko smiled as well. “He’s an amazing chef.”

 

Shinjiro held back a blush. “I’ll see what we have.”

 

As he moved into the kitchen, he ushered everyone else out. Akihiko grabbed the coffee pot and a stack of cups, and everyone gathered around the table in the living area. They started talking about each of their personal lives and what they had been up to. Mitsuru, of course, had been busy running the Kirijo Group, and Aigis was still working closely with her. Amada was focusing strictly on school. Takeba had her acting and modeling career. Yamagishi had graduated high school early and was focusing heavily on college, trying to get into an abroad program. Then Iori had his little league baseball team.

 

They really had gone their separate ways. Down their own paths. That was good, though. It was healthy. It was a normal part of life.

 

Hmm. It was normal. So, if that was normal, then maybe their reactions would be normal, as well.

 

Shinjiro had finished cooking by this point and was passing servings along to everyone. He even made a special serving for Koromaru. And when he handed Akihiko his plate, he took a deep breath. The brunette may hit him for this, but it was now or never.

 

“So, uh…Shinji and I are dating,” he said, not meeting anyone’s gaze.

 

The room fell silent. It wasn’t awkward or uncomfortable. It was just…quiet. Astonishing. People trying to gauge reactions from the others. Even Koromaru stopped eating to look around the group.

 

Shinjiro was the first to break the silence with a laugh. “The hell, Aki?”

 

“Senpai, that’s great,” Yukari then said, a big smile plastered on her face. “I’m so happy for you two.”

 

“We all are,” Ken added.

 

“Can’t say I’m very surprised,” Mitsuru said. “There was always something about your relationship that exceeded friendship. I almost just figured you both would’ve been too oblivious to ever realise it.”

 

Fuuka giggled. “I can understand that.”

 

“Not gonna lie, it’s kinda weird to think about,” Junpei said. “Guess it does make sense, though, with all the girls Sanada-san never took interest in back in high school.”

 

“Tch. That ain’t got nothing to do with anything,” Shinjiro said. “That was just him being way too awkward to date.”

 

Akihiko’s cheeks flushed. “Shut up.”

 

“This is indeed good news,” Aigis said. She then titled her head thoughtfully. “But how exactly does intimacy work between two males?”

 

Mitsuru gasped. “Aigis.”

 

Junpei’s eyes widened. “Okay. Well, that’s enough about that. Let’s move on to the next topic.”

 

“Yes, please,” Ken said.

 

And that was the end of it. The conversations continued, light and cheerful. Stories were exchanged and it felt like the old days. Except it was better now. There was no Dark Hour now. There was no fighting. No having to worry about the end of the world.

 

By the end of the night, though, Akihiko and Shinjiro were more than ready to bid their farewells. While they did enjoy seeing the group again, they were still looking forward to having the apartment to themselves. To having only each other for company. After all, that was the highlight of their days. Each other.

 

And that’s because things were going well. Akihiko would even come close to saying that things were going perfectly. At the same time, though, that word scared him. Because last time he felt things were perfect, everything went to shit. If that happened again now, he had no idea what he would do with himself.

 

But then every time he walked through his apartment door and saw the brunette standing in the kitchen, all his fears melted away. And everything was perfect.

 

Actually, everything was better than perfect. It was positively normal.


End file.
